Australian Shadow Assistant Treasurer Dr Andrew Leigh will be speaking at the Brisbane launch of his Lowy Institute paper Choosing Openness on the evening of Wednesday 4 October, at the Queensland College of Art in South Brisbane. This looks absolutely unmissable for anyone interested in economics and politics. Here is the summary from the website:

In-conversation with Andrew Leigh and Sam Roggeveen, Senior Fellow of the Lowy Institute, followed by a Q&A.

In the early part of the twentieth century, the world turned inwards as fear shut down flows of people and goods across national borders. A century later, can we make a better choice?

Please join us for the launch of Choosing Openness, a new Lowy Institute Paper by the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP and published by Penguin Random House Australia.

Across the developed world, global engagement has become a major political fault line. Some say that trade, investment, and immigration are threats rather than opportunities. Global uncertainty, rising inequality, and populism present real challenges to globalists. Choosing Openness argues that Australia’s past prosperity has flowed from engaging with the world. An open Australia requires stronger advocacy and smarter policies.

Such a discussion is especially needed in Queensland at the moment, given the recent adoption of the Buy Queensland procurement policy, one of the most illogical and misguided pieces of policy implemented in recent times in this State. Recall this is the policy that massively favours local firms in procurement processes, risks a blowout in government expenses, and has upset the New Zealand Government, causing a trade policy headache for the federal government. I strongly suspect Buy Queensland is inconsistent with the views that will be advanced by Dr Leigh in his Choosing Openness paper. I hope that the policy is discussed in either the conversation or Q&A component of the evening.

Poor old Dr. Leigh, he’s really in the wrong party, having previously supported uni fee deregulation and would like oppose buy Queensland. It’s ironic that if Labor win next federal election he’ll be in the most protectionist govt since Menzies.

Thanks for the comment Rob. Yes, it must be hard for him. Let’s hope he’s a force for sensible policy in any future Labor Government. On merit, he should be Shadow Treasurer, but he’s not part of the inner circle it appears.